No. 47 Yale to Compete in ITA Division I Kickoff Weekend

Jan 27, 2011

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 47 Bulldogs will travel for the first time of the spring season to South Bend, Indiana to compete in the ITA Division I Kickoff Weekend. They will play No. 4 Notre Dame on Friday at 1p.m., and move on to either No. 23 Arkansas or No. 41 Utah on Saturday, depending on the outcome of the first match.

Yale is coming off a pair off wins against Boston College and Boston University this past weekend. Notre Dame is also off to a strong start to its season, defeating No. 25 Illinois 5-2 last weekend. Arkansas is also off to an undefeated start this spring, besting No. 66 North Texas and No. 36 Texas A&M. Utah's lost to No. 24 Washington last weekend 6-1. To add an extra dimension to this weekend's rivalry, Yale assistant coaches Christian and Catrina Thompson are Notre Dame alums and were three-time All-Americans for the Fighting Irish in doubles.

Fall Recap

Many Bulldogs posted impressive results in the fall season. Doubles team junior Vicky Brook and senior Lindsay Clark competed in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. after winning two qualifying matches. The then No. 37-ranked Yale team fell 8-3 to the Notre Dame duo of Kristy Frilling and Shannon Matthews, ranked No. 10 in the nation. Brook and Clark made history by winning the doubles final of the 2010 USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Championships at Dartmouth's Boss Tennis Center, becoming the first Yale team to qualify for the ITA National Indoor Championships. The duo reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, falling to Alabama's Alexa Guarachi and Courtney McLane 8-4.

Sophomore No. 65 Elizabeth Epstein, the only Bulldog to be nationally ranked according to current ITA Rankings, excelled at the USTA BJK NTC Women's College Invitational in Flushing, N.Y., by reaching the semifinals of the Singles A draw.

Last Season Recap

Yale completed its 2009-2010 with a 16-6 record (5-2 Ivy League) and finished third in the Ivy League. Yale's losses came to a host of highly ranked teams, including No. 1 Duke.

The Bulldogs impressed at the ECAC Championships, and took first place amidst tough competition, including seven of eight Ivy League teams. Yale's ranking peaked at No. 24, its highest ranking to date.

In addition to team successes, many individuals excelled as well. Three Bulldogs competed in the ITA National Indoor Championships held at Yale's Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center, including junior Stephanie Kent, Jessica Rhee '10, and junior Vicky Brook. Brook earned unanimous first team All-Ivy honors for her stellar 17-4 spring record (5-1 Ivy). Brook and senior Lindsay Clark were named second team All-Ivy Doubles.

Yale adds three freshmen to its roster: Blair Seideman,Annie Sullivan and Kim Szokol, the No. 8 recruiting class in the country named by the Tennis Recruiting Network. Seideman, Sullivan and Szokol join six returning members of the team to round out the lineup.